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| British Scouts leave the venue of the World Scout Jamboree in Buan, North Jeolla Province, Sunday, cutting short their stay due to extreme heat. Yonhap |
Tourism programs being arranged for participants amid heat wave
By Jung Min-ho
The Korean authorities are scrambling to arrange indoor and tourism programs for the remaining participants at the World Scout Jamboree instead of scheduled outdoor activities as they vow to plow ahead with the event despite criticism of sloppy planning and calls to cut it short.
The central and provincial governments were busy coordinating efforts, Sunday, to revitalize the Jamboree, which was put in jeopardy after the British Scouts decided on Friday to leave the campsite at Saemangeum in Buan, North Jeolla Province, citing extreme temperatures. The Americans and Singaporeans decided to follow suit the next morning.
Their decisions and a request by the world scouting body to shorten the Jamboree, scheduled to run from Aug. 1 to 12, immediately thrust the fate of the event into question, prompting President Yoon Suk Yeol the next day to call for all-out efforts to salvage it. He told his top officials to come up with programs for the participants in collaboration with local governments in other regions.
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| British Scouts arrive at a hotel in Seoul, Sunday. Citing sweltering heat and other concerns, the British delegation decided to pull out of the World Scout Jamboree underway in Buan, North Jeolla Province. Newsis |
Hundreds of additional workers as well as vehicles carrying cooling systems have been sent to help improve event management and facilities at Saemangeum, the reclaimed land that is the venue for the event, which had been expected to see more than 43,000 Scouts visiting from 158 countries.
A K-pop concert, originally planned at an outdoor venue there on Sunday, will be staged at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, about a 50-minute drive from the campsite, on Aug. 11 when the closing ceremony will be held. Kim Hyun-sook, minister of gender equality and co-chair of the event's organizing committee, said the decision was made to offer participants "a safer, more pleasant environment."
Local governments in other regions are moving quickly to offer support. Busan Metropolitan City said it was preparing to accommodate 10,000 Scouts until the closing of the Jamboree. Busan, which is bidding to host the World Expo 2030, has already welcomed the Swedish and Mexican Scouting delegations as part of its campaign promotion.
Officials at the Seoul Metropolitan Government are in discussion over whether it is possible to offer some parts of the Han River parks as a campground for Jamboree visitors. To welcome them, officials said they will expand the city's prescheduled entertainment programs such as "NoobCon," a pop concert by the river, and guided mountain-trekking at night.
About 1,000 of the Scouts plan to visit North Chungcheong Province, where they will spend as many as six days traveling around popular tourist spots including Cheongnamdae, once a private vacation villa used by former Korean presidents, and Mount Sobaek, one of the biggest and most popular national parks among mountain lovers.
The Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in the country, is also offering a hand. It will open its 170 temple facilities and other cultural centers nationwide to accommodate the visitors.
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| Tents for U.S. participants are empty at the World Scout Jamboree in Buan, North Jeolla Province. Sunday. The American team has decided to pull out of the event citing health concerns. Yonhap |
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a team to improve communication with Jamboree delegates. Amid complaints about poor preparation for the heat and a request by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) to shorten the event, the ministry invited diplomats from the participating countries to a briefing, in which it promised to improve the environment swiftly. Following this, members of several nations reportedly decided not to leave.
In a Sunday statement, the WOSM expressed its support for the organizing committee's bid to finish the Jamboree as planned.
"The WOSM noted the significant resources mobilized over the last 24 hours to improve the campsite's facilities and services to help the participants manage the impact of the severe heat wave affecting the country," the international governing organization said.
"Despite the challenges, participants on the campsite and those who have now moved to other locations in Korea have demonstrated true Scouting resilience, and we will continue working with the host to support them throughout their stay."
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| Participants gather around water taps and bottled water during the World Scout Jamboree in Buan, North Jeolla Province, Sunday. Yonhap |
Despite the renewed efforts, however, worries remain, with new challenges emerging.
Kim Tae-yeon, leader of the 900th contingent of the Korea Scout Association's North Jeolla Province Council, told reporters the same day that his team decided to withdraw after the organizing committee failed to properly respond to a sexual harassment allegation there.
He accused a Thai man of following a female official into a shower room late Wednesday, a case now being investigated by police. He then said the alleged perpetrator was only given a warning and the woman received no protection.
Asked about the incident, Minister Kim said she was briefed that it was not a sexual offense and that's why the committee did not take a strong, prompt action against the man.
In another issue for the event, Typhoon Khanun is forecast to hit the country's southeastern region later this week, according to the weather agency.
Speaking to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and co-chiefs of the committee, Yoon again called for safe and smooth management of the Jamboree.
